How metro Atlanta police departments train for active shooter situations

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – The college taking pictures in Texas that claimed the lives of 21 folks is on the minds of many individuals throughout metro Atlanta, together with law enforcement officials.

“It’s very tragic. A lot of our officers are literally dad and mom themselves and what we’ve completed on the police division is we’ve made certain that coaching is a precedence for us,” mentioned Lt. Abrem Ayana with the Brookhaven Police Division.

Not solely does he undergo annual lively shooter coaching along with his fellow officers, however he teaches civilian response lessons. The Brookhaven officers prepare to reply to an lively taking pictures in any sort of setting from a faculty to a grocery retailer.

“Our officers are educated to not look forward to backup, to not look forward to SWAT, that was a lesson realized after the Columbine incident, we all know that we’ve to get in there rapidly and neutralize that shooter,” mentioned Ayana. “All of our officers are educated to right away reply and search out that risk; they’ve even been educated to move people who could also be injured or mortally wounded for the only goal to seek out that shooter.”

He mentioned going by coaching with actual folks taking part in the roles of victims helps officers perceive what it sounds and appears prefer to need to stroll previous a sufferer.

Officers have gear of their vehicles they will placed on in the event that they do reply to an lively state of affairs, together with ballistic helmets and armored plate carriers. Additionally they carry lively shooter kits that embody objects like splints and tourniquets.

Atlanta Public Colleges Police Chief Ronald Applin mentioned his officers additionally bear annual coaching. Through the summer time, they prepare in colleges to arrange for an lively shooter. They stepped up safety at commencement ceremonies this week in mild of the Texas taking pictures.

“It’s definitely one thing we put together for, we don’t need issues like that to occur nevertheless it’s one thing we undoubtedly need to be prepared for on the finish of the day,” mentioned Applin.

He additionally mentioned the precedence is attending to the individual creating the risk.

“Years in the past it was arrange, a fringe and name SWAT, however once we take into consideration an individual within a faculty with children who don’t have any technique to defend themselves, we’ve to get to that shooter, we’ve to get to them,” Applin mentioned.

“We’re instructing folks to do that however in actuality, you don’t know what’s going to occur on the finish of the day. You don’t know what individuals are going to do once they’re confronted with the potential for being severely injured or killed,” he mentioned. “I at all times say, and I attempt to set an instance, if it’s me and I’m on my own, I’m going. On the finish of the day, I’m going to make my manner inside and I’m going to do every thing I can.”

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